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Adventist Review General Paper of the Seventh-day Adventist Church June 13, 1985 disappearing members Page 2 The new hurch hymnal and how to use it Pages 5, 6 Artist sculpts Olympic excellence Page 20 Cover: This quarter's Thirteenth Sabbath Special Projects Offering will benefit missions in North America. See page 22. FROM THE EDITORS 142 hundred-member churches records trace my father's family The going out of existence, vanishing, back to a John Fay, who arrived in within one year. Boston from England on the ship disappearing To this we must add the 5,699 Speedwell in 1656. members who died during 1984. Perhaps it is this strong New members Thus the initial gain through bap- England heritage—this sense of tism of 34,365 people must be belonging, these characteristics of Sometimes statistics soothe us reduced by 19,929, leaving us with loyalty and duty and trust—that and cause us to rejoice. Sometimes a net gain of 14,436. This simply makes Dad one of the "pillars" of statistics shock us and stir our says that for every 100 people who his local church. Besides being a hearts into reflection and introspec- joined the Adventist Church in Sabbath school teacher and deacon, tion. North America during 1984, 58 he is deeply involved in the care of The latest statistics on the growth people left or died, leaving a gain of the church building and grounds. At of the Adventist Church in North 42 members. church work bees it is not unusual America provide both opportuni- These are indeed solemn facts by for him to be the first to arrive and ties: a time for rejoicing and a time anyone's reckoning. They speak of the last to leave. And as a careful for serious reflection. people whose love for Jesus has craftsman, he takes pride in doing The "Summary of Progress" grown cold. They speak of people his jobs well. recently issued by the General Con- for whom the Seventh-day Advent- Firmly rooted and grounded in ference director of Archives and ist Church no longer meets God's love, Dad enjoys many Statistics, F. Donald Yost, reported personal needs or desires. They forms of God's creation. He finds that during 1984, 34,365 persons speak of a challenge facing every pleasure in talking to old friends acccepted Jesus as Lord and Sav- member of the Adventist Church in and new, travels in his armchair via iour and joined the Adventist North America: to love and nurture National Geographic, makes maple Church in the North American in the faith all fellow members. syrup each spring just for the joy of Division. This is a work that cannot be left it, exercises by tending his rasp- Our hearts certainly are full of for the church administrators or berry patch, fills four bird feeders gratitude to God for each one who pastors to do alone. It is the glori- every day for his feathered friends took a public stand for Jesus. And ous work given to each of us to (he recently trained a chickadee to we can be sure that the churches enter upon. take seeds from his hand), and where these new members worship May God grant us the desire and participates in his very own — adopt are also filled with thanksgiving, willingness to make the retention of a grandchild" program. for new members nearly always members a priority of our church I consider myself fortunate that bring to their new church family a and churches. It is a work that must my father is alive and healthy certain sense of vibrancy and an be done. It cannot wait any longer. (complete with salty New England urgency in proclaiming the gospel. M. K. W. personality), and loves and enjoys The rest of the statistics in the his family as well as his church. He report complete the church growth gives me more than just a heritage picture. Last year, 14,230 Advent- Dad: his roots of which to be proud. ist members were listed as aposta- I am also thankful for the oppor- tizing or missing. These persons go deep tunity to honor my father in print slipped out the figurative "back this year, and in so doing to say door" of our churches, through In a little white house on the side Happy Father's Day both to him which they may never come again. of a mountain in Massachusetts and to the other fathers reading this This figure may be easier to com- lives a man whose roots go down magazine. J. R. F. prehend this way. It is equivalent to deep into New England soil, having been planted there in the mid- seventeenth century. Genealogical 2 (594) ADVENTIST REVIEW. JUNE 13 1985 TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIALS Adventist Review The Disappearing Members Myron K. Widmer 2 Evangelism is not enough. Statistics tell us we need to start working to keep the members we already have. Dad: His Roots Go Deep Jocelyn R. Fay 2 Dad's ancestors arrived in Boston from England in 1656. His strong Published continuously since 1849, the Adventist Review New England heritage has served him—and countless others—well. seeks to exalt Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Lord of the Sabbath, and coming King. It aims to inspire and inform as it presents the beliefs and news of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist CHURCH MUSIC Church. The New Hymnal Is Here! Harold Lickey 5 EDITOR William G. Johnsson And that means work. Learning new hymns may not be easy, but our efforts will be rewarded. ASSOCIATE EDITOR Myron K. Widmer How to Use the New Hymnal Wayne Hooper 6 MANAGING EDITOR The product usually works best if you read the directions first. Jocelyn R. Fay Adventist Musicians' Guild Carol Mayes and John Read 11 ASSISTANT EDITORS Scores Noteworthy Gains James N. Coffin, Eugene F. Durand, Deborah Anfenson-Vance Oliver Beltz and Albert Mayes, Jr., had a passion for music and devotion to excellence. Through their dreams and efforts came an ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY Corinne Russ organization dedicated to upgrading Adventist church music. EDITORIAL SECRETARIES Chitra Barnabas, Jeanne James WITNESS ART The Teacher Jack E. Brown 13 Byron Steele, G. W. Busch Badly burned from neck to toes, her body oozed with infection. The CONSULTING EDITORS Neal C. Wilson, Charles E. Bradford, L. L. Bock, L. L. doctor called me aside to say she was dying. Butler, Charles B. Hirsch, George W. Reid, Alf Lohne, Kenneth J. Mittleider, Enoch Oliveira, G. Ralph Thompson, Francis W. Wemick WORLDVIEW SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Korea: First Far Eastern Soul-winning Institute Established 18 Kenneth H. Wood, Robert H. Pierson, George W. Brown, G. J. Christo, W. T. Clark, Bekele Heye, R. J. Kloosterhuis, Zambia: Dorcas Women Organize Family Health Project 18 Edwin Ludescher, Jan Paulsen, W.R.L. Scragg, Joao Wolff 18 Tanzania: Bell Marks Three Generations of Adventist Work SOUTHWESTERN UNION EDITION Taiwan: Taipei Press Celebrates 80th Anniversary 19 Editor, Richard W. Bendall Ethiopia: Food Falls From the Sky 19 AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN EDITIONS Editor, James B. Kio; managing editor, James Fly 19 California: Hospital Plays Major Role in Winning Convert INTER-AMERICAN DIVISION Adventist Artist Sculpts Olympic Excellence 20 Editor, Wanda Sample Cover Story: Offering to Support North American Missions 22 SOUTH AMERICAN EDITIONS Scandinavia: Community Radio Grows in Norway and Denmark 22 Editor, R. S. Lessa, Portuguese; acting editor, Rubem M. Scheffel, Portuguese; editor, Rolando Itin, Spanish Mexico: Use Increasing at Ellen G. White Research Center 23 23 CIRCULATION California: English Language Center Opens Second Branch Robert S. Smith, L. Rhea Harvey Canada: Hi-tech Plant Provides Work at Canadian College 23 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Subscription prices: $34.95 one year, $16.95 six months, $8.95 three months DEPARTMENTS To place your order, send your name, address, and money to the local Adventist Book Center or the Review and Herald From Our Readers 4 Review and Comment 26 Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagers- town, Maryland 21740. Children's Corner 13 News Notes 27 TO WRITERS Speaking Out 14 Bulletin Board 30 We welcome unsolicited manuscripts for the different 16 Back Page News 31 sections of the Adventist Review. It is advisable to send a Dear Miriam preliminary outline and purpose of your article before writing Countdown to the 23 the article or submitting it to us. Notification of acceptance or rejection may be expected only if accompanied by a stamped, GC Session self-addressed envelope. Address all editorial correspon- dence to 6840 Eastern Avenue NW., Washington, D.C. 20012. INDEX COMING NEXT WEEK: An index is published in the last Review of June and ■ "Natural Versus Refined Sugar," by John December. The Adventist Review is indexed in the Seventh- day Adventist Periodical Index. A. Scharffenberg. There's more to sugar than The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119) is published meets the measuring spoon. ► every Thursday. Copyright © 1985 Review and Herald ■ "Is the Abundant Life for Everybody?" A Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagers- town, Maryland 21740. Second-class postage paid at thought-provoking Single Life feature by Pat Hagerstown, Maryland. Postmaster, send address changes Gustin. to Adventist Review, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740. Single copy, 90 cents U.S. currency. Art and photo credits: Cover, Wetzel Williams; p. 3, Steve Gardner; p. Prices subject to change without notice. 4, Voice of Prophecy; pp. 5, 10, Meylan Thoresen; p. 8, Luis Ramirez; p. 12, Review archives; pp. 20, 21, Gary Parmenter. Other photos courtesy of Vol. 162, No. 24 respective authors. ADVENTIST REVIEW, JUNE 13, 1985 (595) 3 FROM OUR READERS sing in tune outside — the five- opened the way for us to give H.M.S.